The San Francisco 49ers cut their roster from 90 to 53 ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline. While several players who were released or waived ahead of the deadline will make it to the 17-man practice squad, others have played their final game with the 49ers.

We already saw San Francisco make a significant move ahead of the deadline, sending quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys on Friday. That pretty much settles the quarterback situation in Northern California, with Brandon Allen now on the 53.

Wide receivers Danny Gray and Ray-Ray McCloud are expected to miss several weeks due to injury. Neither player was placed on injured reserve ahead of Tuesday’s roster cut deadline. That would have forced them to miss the entire 2023 season. The same thing can’t be said for rookie tight end Cameron Latu who was placed on injured reserve with a torn meniscus in his knee.

Veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez joins him on injured reserve as do cornerback A.J. Parker and safety Travis Hawkins. Meanwhile reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa will not count against the initial 53 as he continues his long holdout.

San Francisco 49ers 53-Man Roster

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster. Keep in mind that it will change a lot ahead of Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Quarterbacks (3)

San Francisco 49ers’ QBs for 2023. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)Getty Images

Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen

The trade of Lance pretty much ended any discussion about who San Francisco was going to keep on its 53-man roster at quarterback. There is a chance that the 49ers do look outside of the organization for an upgrade over Allen. But that seems unlikely at this point.

Will Grier showed out in his final appearance with the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. He could be an option after being released by Dallas.

Running Backs (5)

49ers’ preseason finale, Jordan Mason made it on to the 53. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)Getty Images

Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Ty Davis-Price, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk

Veterans Jeremy McNichols and Brian Hill were the odd men out. One will likely land on the 49ers’ practice squad. Ty Davis-Price did enough during the preseason to earn a spot on the 53. Despite a fumble in the preseason finale, Mason’s downhill running ability is something nice to have as a reserve.

At fullback, undrafted free agent Jack Colletto will likely find himself on the practice squad should another team not claim him. He impressed big time during the summer and could eventually be the heir apparent to Juszczyk moving forward. But it was risky to expose him to waivers.

Tight Ends (4)

George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley, Brayden Willis

With Latu going on injured reserve, San Francisco’s tight end situation is not great. Woerner was rostered because of his blocking ability, not his pass-catching ability (eight receptions in three seasons). A veteran of five seasons with San Francisco, Dwelley caught a mere three passes in 12 games last year.

It was interesting to see San Francisco keep rookie seventh-round pick Brayden Willis out of Oklahoma. He offers the most upside from a pass-catching perspective of any San Francisco tight end outside of Kittle. This is one position I expect San Francisco to look outside of the organization for an upgrade ahead of Week 1.

Wide Receivers (6)

for the San Francisco 49ers’ 53-man roster. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)Getty Images

Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Danny Gray, Ronnie Bell, Ray-Ray McCloud

This situation is a bit cloudy due to injuries to both McCloud and Gray. I expect both to be placed on injured reserve after final cuts, enabling them to return at some point in the first half of the season. At that point, the 49ers will likely re-sign Willie Snead and Chris Conley to the active roster or practice squad after they were released in final cuts.

However, Ronnie Bell is the name to watch here. The seventh-round pick from Michigan showed out big time during the preseason. Will it be enough for him to earn a big role heading into the regular season? Time will tell on that front.

Offensive Line (9)

Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford, Colton McKivitz, Jaylon Moore, Matt Pryor, John Feliciano, Nick Zakelj

San Francisco typically keeps eight offensive linemen. But with question marks at right tackle and guard, going with nine made sense.

That’s where veterans Pryor and Feliciano come into play. Both can suit up at multiple positions, creating a ton of versatility off the bench. As for former undrafted free agent Jason Poe, San Francisco is hoping to hide the talented second-year player on the practice squad for another season after waiving him on Tuesday.

MORE FROM FORBESNFL Free Agents The San Francisco 49ers Should Still TargetBy Vincent Frank

Defensive Line (8)

missing all of last season to injury. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Clelin Ferrell, Drake Jackson, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Robert Beal Jr. Kevin Givens, Kalia Davis

The 49ers kept only eight defensive linemen in their final 53 with the aforementioned Bosa remaining a holdout. They hope that veterans Austin Bryant and Kerry Hyder Jr. return on the 17-man practice squad. If not, San Francisco will have to look outside of the organization for depth at the edge.

San Francisco is hoping for something out of two youngsters in that of defensive end Robert Beal Jr. and defensive tackle Kalia Davis. Beal is a rookie fifth-round pick out of Georgia while Davis missed his entire rookie season after the 49ers made the Central Florida product a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Linebackers (6)

Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Oren Burks, Dee Winters, Jalen Graham, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

I am not sure if the 49ers are going to end up keeping six linebackers. It was interesting that both Winters and Graham made the initial 53.

A sixth-round pick out of Texas Christian back in April, Winters displayed a ton of athleticism and field awareness during training camp. Meanwhile, Graham was the 49ers’ last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He might have been the biggest surprise of the summer camp. Burks, Winters, Graham and Flannigan-Fowles can also play special teams, which helped their cause.

Cornerbacks (5)

Oliver earned a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Samuel Womack, Ambry Thomas, Isaiah Oliver

The one surprise is that Oliver made San Francisco’s 53-man roster. He struggled big time in training camp and during limited preseason action. Apparently, the $2.9 million Oliver received in guaranteed cash during NFL free agency played a role here. He’ll compete for starting nickel cornerback duties moving forward.

Undrafted rookie free agent D’Shawn Jamison from Texas was seen as a favorite to earn a spot on the 53. The 49ers are hoping he makes it through waivers after a solid summer performance. If not, they’ll have to look elsewhere for depth.

Safeties (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Tashaun Gipson, Ji’Ayir Brown, George Odum

None of these four are a surprise. Hufanga and Gipson are San Francisco’s unquestioned starters with the former having earned All-Pro honors last season. Brown played extremely well during the preseason. As a third-round pick from Penn State, I am expecting him to see action in nickel situations out of the gate.

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Meanwhile, Odum is a special teams standout. He actually earned second-team All-Pro honors in his first season with the 49ers in 2022.

Specalists (3)

Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Jake Moody, Mitch Wishnowsky, Taybor Pepper

San Francisco’s first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jake Moody is currently sidelined with a quad injury. It remains to be seen if the rookie third-round pick will be able to go Week 1. The 49ers did bring in multiple veteran kickers this week and could potentially look to re-sign Robbie Gould.

As for the other two positions, there was no real intrigue here. Wishnowsky was a lock to make the team as a punter and Pepper has been a standout long snapper during his time in San Francisco.

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Formerly of Yahoo! Sports, Bleacher Report, Pro Football Focus and Fox Sports.

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A look at the 53-man roster for the San Francisco 49ers for 2021. (AP Photo / Tony Avelar)

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The San Francisco 49ers announced their first 53-man roster for the 2021 NFL season. As is so often the case, there were a few surprises.

San Francisco opt to keep just two quarterbacks while pitching a whopping 11 defensive linemen.

Things are obviously going to change in the week plus leading up to the regular 49ers season opener. For now, here’s a look at San Francisco’s initial 53-man roster with predictions regarding the team’s training roster.

Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance

The 53-man roster of the San Francisco 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo. (AP photo / Jed Jacobsohn)

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San Francisco chose to keep only two quarterbacks in its 53-man roster. This is a clear indication that the team expects Trey Lance’s finger injury to only keep him away for a week or so. However, there remains a decent chance that Nate Sudfeld will return to the training squad after his waiver on Tuesday. He can add extra insurance to the mix behind Garoppolo and Lance.

Running back: Raheem Mostert, Trey Serman, JaMycal Hasty, Elijah Mitchell

It’s a little surprising that during the final cuts, the 49ers signed the seasoned Free agent who signed Wayne Gallman. He did an excellent job last season replacing the injured Saquon Barkley with the New York Giants. With that in mind, Hasty’s preseason performance led him to almost get on the list. Mitchell, a late round pick last spring, offers more versatility in the return leg.

Defender: Kyle Juszczyk

The 49ers liked what they saw in the first two preseason games without a Juice Check from Josh Hokit. However, there is no room for a second full-back in today’s NFL. The hope here is that Hokit will make it back to San Francisco’s 16-man training team.

Tight End: George Kittle, Ross Dwelley, Charlie Woerner

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. (AP Photo / Scot Tucker)

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San Francisco decided on Tuesday to release the wide receiver that became the tight end Jordan Matthews. There is a chance he will return to the training squad after doing well in this new position over the summer. The decision for three tight ends differs slightly from previous years under Kyle Shanahan. It seems to suggest the 49ers are happy with Dwelley and Woerner as backups for Kittle.

Wide receivers: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Trent Sherfield, Mohamed Sanu, Jalen Hurd, Jauan Jennings

This was one of the most interesting position groups for San Francisco during training camp and preseason. Sherfield showed great performance and played the role of the 49ers’ most prolific receiver. That guaranteed him a place in the 53-man squad.

As for Jalen Hurd, he lost more time to injury after sitting out each of his first two NFL seasons. After getting a lot of action in the preseason final in San Francisco, Hurd surprisingly earned a spot on the 53rd.

By keeping both Hurd and Jennings, the 49ers are in a less than stellar position in the second leg as well. At the moment, Aiyuk seems to be the best punt returner. Given its status as San Francisco’s No. 1 recipient, this seems unlikely. Be sure this is an area the 49ers will address before the first week against Detroit.

Offensive tackle: Trent Williams, Mike McGlinchey, Jaylon Moore

The 53-member roster of the San Francisco 49ers, Trent Williams. (Photo by Abbie Parr / Getty Images)

Getty Images

Here’s another area the 49ers could address. Colton McKivitz’s surprise release for the fifth round in 2020 changes the momentum a bit. He is replaced by rookie Jaylon Moore in the swing tackle role after he made an impressive impression in the training camp and in the preseason. Moore’s lack of experience could play a role should Williams or McGlinchey miss the time to injury.

Guard: Laken Tomlinson, Daniel Brunskill, Aaron Banks, Tom Compton

Much to the chagrin of Northern California fans, the 49ers chose to keep Compton in their initial 53-man roster. The 32-year-old veteran will mean a major downgrade should either Tomlinson or Brunksill suffer an injury. Meanwhile, Banks missed a ton of time injuring himself over the summer after San Francisco made former Notre Dame All-American a surprise second-round pick.

Unlike other positions, I expect San Francisco to comb through the waiver, free agency, and trading bloc to find another security guard. It cannot go into week 1 with this depth chart.

Middle: Alex Mack

Mack, who signed to the Atlanta Falcons last spring, has only missed two games in the past six seasons. Despite his advanced age of 35, San Francisco is confident that the six-time pro bowler will stay healthy. With that in mind, there’s a good chance that Jake Brendel will either return to the training squad or the active squad after being fired on Tuesday.

Defensive Line: Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Dee Ford, Samson Ebukam, DJ Jones, Kentavius ​​Street, Kevin Givens, Arden Key, Zach Kerr, Maurice Hurst

The San Francisco 49ers’ defense ends on Kentavius ​​Street, left, and Nick Bosa warms up while playing NFL soccer … [+] Training camp in Santa Clara, Calif., Tuesday, August 10, 2021. (AP Photo / Jeff Chiu)

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Initially, the 49ers will have 11 defensive linemen in their 53-man roster. That will change as soon as Maurice Hurst is placed on the injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. There is also the option of another player being dealt before Week 1 while other teams are calling San Francisco about possible trades.

As it stands, this could be one of the deepest units in the entire NFL. Nick Bosa and Dee Ford appear to be 100% after playing a total of three games last season. Javon Kinlaw showed up in his second preseason with the 49ers. Samson Ebukam appears to be a tremendous EDGE rush threat after coming free-hand from the Los Angeles Rams. Hell, Zach Kerr is a starter-caliber player who takes the field with second and third units. It will be interesting to see how the 49ers’ line of defense evolves forward.

Linebackers: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Azeez Al-Shaair, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Marcell Harris

The 49ers’ decision to swap Jonas Griffith on Tuesday opened the door to Marcell Harris to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. The former late round choice is making the transition from security and has done well over the summer. Harris also gives San Francisco flexibility with specialty teams.

It all starts, of course, with all-pro Fred Warner and the talented youngster Dre Greenlaw. If they stay healthy and perform well, this will be one of the best linebacker groups in the NFL.

Cornerback: Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley, K’Waun Williams, Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas, Davontae Harris

San Francisco 49ers Deommodore Lenoir (38) intercepts a pass for Kansas City Chiefs Noah. away … [+] Gray, 83) during an NFL football game on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo / Scot Tucker)

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To say it was surprising that San Francisco chose to keep Harris over Dontae Johnson would be an understatement. The 49ers wanted experience with two rookies playing roles in the cornerback. Even then, we can expect another move in this position before week 1.

Security: Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Talanoa Hufanga, Tavon Wilson

There’s a damn good chance Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will return to the 49ers training roster after being fired on Tuesday. The former Pro Bowler came up with an interception in the preseason final on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders and was able to provide experience. For now, the 49ers will likely rely on Hufanga to some extent. USC’s round five rookie pick was one of the most impressive numbers in Santa Clara this summer.

Specialists: Robbie Gould, Mitch Wishnowsky, Taybor Pepper

No surprises here.

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Trey Lance doesn’t just win the 49ers quarterback competition. He’s doing a show.

He is the main attraction in the training camp. Not Fred Warner. Not George Kittle. Certainly not Jimmy Garoppolo. Lance. He’s the player everyone is watching – even the other players.

“I think all eyes are on him,” said DJ Jones on Wednesday. “He’s special.”

On Tuesday, linebacker Dre Greenlaw wrote on Instagram that Lance has the “best arm I’ve ever seen.”

I share Greenlaw’s opinion. Lance has the best arm I’ve seen in person on the 49er practice field. He’s also the best quarterback I’ve ever trained in Santa Clara. He literally does everything well.

He’s an excellent runner like Lamar Jackson, but has a much better arm and great speed like Colin Kaepernick, but has much better throwing mechanics and a much faster release.

That means Lance has the chance to be the 49ers’ best quarterback since Steve Young.

He and Garoppolo did that on Wednesday.

TREY LANCE

Played exclusively with the second team offensive and completed 7 of 8 attempts to pass. The one incomplete throw should have been a defensive pass disorder.

Lance played the whole camp with the defense of the second team. It’s time to let him face the starters. Here is one blow after blow of his practice:

1. Rolled right, found his third read, Wayne Gallman, curling around the back of the game and tossing all the way across the field to him to win a 10. This was an extremely powerful throw at a stationary target.

2. Run a zone to his left and won 10 yards.

3. Completed a 15 yard pass across the middle to Brandon Aiyuk who ran an excavation route from left to right. Great job hitting a moving target at the crotch.

4. George Kittle threw an incomplete deep pass down the right sideline. Kittle was open – he had a few steps on the rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga – but Lance lost the pass. This caused Kittle to slow down, which caused Hufanga to hit him. Looks like a defensive pass disorder. Either way, bad litter.

5. Completed a 45 yard pass to Ross Dwelley moving up the right sideline. This pass was a rope.

6. Did a zone read and lost ten feet. Maurice Hurst marked him in the backcourt.

7. Crawled to the left, feet set back, and thrown back over the middle to his right to Aiyuk to win 10.

8. Completed another 45 yard pass, this time to run Kittle up the seam. Throws like these become routine for Lance.

9. Threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews, who was running a seam route in the red zone. Matthews was Lance’s second reading.

10. He ran a zone to his left in the red zone and scored a touchdown. Simple.

11. Throw a touch pass over a cornerback in the end zone to get a result. Nsimba Webster intercepted the pass. This was Lance’s best touch shot of the camp.

JIMMY GAROPPOLO

Poor Jimmy.

He used to be the most physically gifted quarterback in town. Now he’s like an outdated piece of technology – he’s a typewriter and Lance is an iPhone.

So Garoppolo can’t keep up even on his best day.

Wednesday wasn’t Garoppolo’s best day, however. Here is one beat after beat of his morning.

1. Completed a 5 yard checkdown pass to Mohamed Sanu after holding the ball in his pocket for too long and taking a sack from Arik Armstead.

2. Stared too long on first read, threw too late on second read – Deebo Samuel curls up – and let cornerback Ken Webster break his pass. Samuel opened a door earlier.

3. Threw Kittle a pass driving a deep intersection route and was almost intercepted by Tavon Wilson who got both hands on the pass but dropped it. Garoppolo never saw Wilson lurk in a zone waiting for Kittle.

4. Threw an incomplete deep pass at Kittle that was open. Garoppolo hesitated, grabbed twice, then sailed out of bounds with a long wobbler. Awkward.

5. Completed a check-down pass for Trent Sherfield running a swing route.

6. Completed a 10 yard pass for Kittle who drove an out route against Tony Jefferson.

7. Sailed an incomplete pass over the head of Brandon Aiyuk who ran a deep intersection route against K’Waun Williams and was open.

8. Completed a screen pass on Deebo Samuel.

9. Rolled right and threw a short pass at Kittle, who ran into the end zone from a few yards.

10. Threw Deebo a crooked pass to Samuel, but Samuel dropped it.

11. Threw a quick pass to run Trey Sermon back.

Not a bad exercise for a Garoppolo, but not an exciting one either. His morning ended with a checkdown and nobody cared about it because it will soon be history.

Sorry, Jimmy. It’s strictly business.

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